The Sommelier Update is an educational blog on wine, beer, spirits and food. It started in conjunction with the Arrowhead Wine Enthusiast club, but has rapidly gained an international following from those interested in learning, enjoying and having fun with food and wine. Weekly articles on advice, service, pairing ideas, recipes, education and consultation, from a Certified Sommelier and wine educator.

Super Bowl Beverages

You may have noticed that my blog writing has (temporarily) been a little slow on publishing. No I haven't run out of material, but I have been writing (wait for it)...portions of a new wine textbook. Soon I'll be able to announce the new business partnership, and possibly a new wine school.

But for now, it is the end of the football (American football for my overseas readers) season, and time for the Super Bowl. I must
admit that I was rooting for the San Francisco 49ers to make it to the
big game, again. But, those darn Seahawks got in the way. How
many people really care who's in the Super Bowl? Those of us at home, that
don't have a team in the game, are probably there for the commercials,
or friends and food.

That's were this weeks article comes in.

photo from ifood.tv

I did some research to find out what the most common
Super Bowl snacks were. Not the necessarily the brands, but what foods
are served at Super Bowl gatherings. That got me to thinking...what
would be the beverage(s) of choice for a Super Bowl party? If you wanted
to make sure everyone is happy, which beverages should you have on hand
for your guests? Beer, Wine, Soda, hard alcohol? Let's take a look at
the top 20 most common Super Bowl foods, and my recommendations for
possible pairings:

So,
let's look at the count....if you are holding a Super Bowl party, Beer
must be on your beverage menu, and if you must pick a style, go with
Lager. The next must have is Zinfandel. Go with a lighter, fruitier
version. Next would be a sparkling wine. Personally, I wouldn't spend
the money on a fine French Champagne for the items on the food list. But
luckily there are some decent priced sparklers out there. Next, it is
close as to which white wine. You can't go wrong with Sauvignon Blanc,
or Riesling (go with a dry version from Alsace or California). So you
have beer, red, sparkling and white, let's add a dry Rose, and we should
have it covered. For those that don't drink, add some soda. And for
those that want something a little heavier, add some Tequila and
margarita mix, and you are well on your way to satisfying everyone's
needs.

Voted #1 wine blog (2014,2015,2016)

About Me

Jim Newcomb is a certified Sommelier, having completed his level III certification/diploma with the International Sommelier Guild (ISG) as well as the ISG Teacher Education Program (TEP). He currently is a wine educator for the ISG. He is the founder and president of the Arrowhead Wine Enthusiast Club. Additionally, he passed "with distinction" the Level III, advanced study course, with London based WSET (Wine & Spirits Educational Trust) Jim is also a contributing writer for the Organic Wine Exchange, and Wine on Wheels, as well as a frequent guest on Grape Encounters radio program. He is now working with the newly formed International Sommelier Alliance (ISA) as a textbook writer, instructor, and adviser.